John Lechner's Blog, page 7

The Secret of Kells, the beauty of nature

There are many reasons to love the new animated film The Secret of Kells, and not least is the way it portrays nature. More than just a picturesque backdrop, nature plays an integral part in the story, and is practically a character in itself, personified by the forest sprite Aisling. She is a vibrant presence in the film, both childish and wise, who protects the forest and yet is vulnerable to the dark forces that lurk there. She teaches Brendan, the cloistered hero of the film, about the...

Welcome Spring

First sign of spring

To celebrate the first week of spring, here is a drawing I did recently for the Creative Juices blog, for our "What The Doodle". The word to illustrate for that week was "welcomed" and what could be more welcome than the flowers in spring?

Spring is one of the most visually stimulating seasons (at least in cooler climates) because it changes so quickly, often from one day to the next. The grass turns from dull gray to green, the trees form buds, then flowers, then leaves...

Music inspired by nature

Brazilian composer Jarbas Agnelli was reading the newspaper one day, and saw a photo of birds on electrical wires. Inspired by the similarity to musical notes, he cut out the photo and began composing a song based on the positions of the birds. He recorded the song and sent it to the photographer, who loved it. Soon there was a newspaper article about it, and the song became a worldwide sensation. Below is a music video he made of the song, using the photograph.

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas...

Spring is just around the corner

As a gardener and nature-lover, spring is my favorite season. But I'm in no hurry to shake off winter just yet. True, it's got snow, and ice, and freezing temperatures (at least up north), and everything seems dead and bare. But it also provides a nice break, a time for thinking and looking inward.

In many ways, I find it the most inspiring season of all because of its minimalism. It doesn't overwhelm the senses with color, it's not splashy or teeming with distractions. In the winter, a...

Snowflakes: miniature works of art

Artists are inspired by nature, but sometimes nature creates perfect works of art on its own. Snowflakes are not only beautiful in their form and structure, they are also amazing because of the way they are created out of nothing, from moisture crystallizing around tiny specks of dirt. Their resemblance to plants and leaves is remarkable, and yet snowflakes are not living. Nature is filled with common patterns and structures if you look for them.

Here are some snowflake photos collected by...

Come Again in Spring

Continuing our snowy theme this month, we turn to animation.  Come Again in Spring is a short animated film about an old man who has a mysterious visitor one day who threatens his peaceful existence. This gentle film contains gorgeous imagery of the snowy landscape, and also the birds who are ever-present throughout the tale.

In addition to the beautiful animation, it's also a great story, and I urge you to watch it through to the end. It is a film about life, about nature, and about the...

The Nature of Emily Dickinson

To kick off this wintry new year, here is a poem by Emily Dickinson, who was no stranger to the outdoors. Throughout her roughly 1,700 poems, she described nature in her own singular way, as someone who has quietly observed it all her life. This particular poem is written as a riddle, never explicitly stating the subject, though I think you'll guess.

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It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the...

A New Year in the Untended Garden

It has been exactly three months since I started this blog, and I want to thank all my readers for their feedback and support. I have lots of ideas for the new year, and here's just a peek at what's coming up.

January will be "snow month" at The Untended Garden — all the posts will involve snow and winter.  Snow has always inspired art and writing, not just for its visual beauty, but how it changes the way we see nature, making everything seem new. It has also been used as a metaphor in...

The Art of Tasha Tudor

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"Laura in the Snow" by Tasha Tudor

Few artists have been more in tune with nature than Tasha Tudor. Not only did she paint the natural world around her, she lived her life as in olden days, growing her own food, raising livestock, and spinning and weaving cloth for her family's ...